


Danganronpa: Lingering Despair

by o_oOkthen



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Mastermind (Dangan Ronpa), F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 22:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15716361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_oOkthen/pseuds/o_oOkthen
Summary: Living with potential murderers is one thing.When those people are your classmates, your friends, your lovers... Or even known murderers themselves, That's when you truly feel despair.A danganronpa AU where everything, even the game itself, has changed.





	Danganronpa: Lingering Despair

Hope's Peak Academy. It's every high schooler's dream to attend such a prestigious school. Hope's Peak has a long history of housing the most talented people in the world. Centered in the middle of Tokyo, the school was hard to miss; a large, brick building staged inside a park while all the buildings that surrounded it were towering skyscrapers. The facilities inside of the school were top-tier, of course, to suit the needs of the students attending. From a gigantic botanical garden to an Olympic sized swimming pool, no talent was left without a place of practice.

Every year, a handful of teenagers were hand-picked from a pool of millions, all under the criteria that they were the best in their field. Sometimes that boiled down to just enough to make up one class. Other times, it populated several classes. And a singular student was chosen each year to attend the school purely based on luck; as such, they received the title of the ultimate lucky student.

That person just so happened to be Makoto Naegi.

He didn't think much of his own ability. Honestly, he was fairly average. He wasn't good or bad in any field, be it sports or academics or music. He did have his hobbies and preferences, but they all followed the popular trends. Of course, there was nothing wrong with that, anyway. Popular trends were popular for a good reason, right?

Makoto's daily life was just as average. He lived with his middle-class parents and a doting little sister, Komaru, in a tiny apartment complex. He had a handful of friends who he hung out with frequently. Usually, it was either at karaoke or at the arcade. He's never dated, but he's had a few crushes over the years. He would've continued to lead a normal school life if it wasn't for a fortunate turn of events that landed him his acceptance letter.

Standing in front of the school gates, he couldn't help but feel...  _overwhelmed_. It was natural for an average person like him attending a school meant for those a thousand times better. Makoto had done some research beforehand on the school's public forum and got an early notice on his class's lineup. The amount of talent in this year's group was outstanding. For example, this particular year included students such as the ultimate pop sensation, probably a famed idol. There were also students such as the ultimate gambler, the ultimate affluent progeny, and the ultimate fanfiction creator. Scrolling through the list of titles made Makoto feel powerless. Granted, these were the best of the best in the country, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that his social standing as a 'lucky student' will be his ruin.

_Komaru kept on telling me that I'll come crying home after a few months... She might be right. Hah._

His sister was such a nice person.

He glanced at his watch. 7:10. In 50 minutes, he'll meet the other students in the entrance hall. Just thinking about it made him shiver in excitement and fear.

_Come on, Makoto. You got this. Komaru's a bitch. She's only trying to mess with you._

Maybe Makoto really was powerless when compared to his classmates. So what? Makoto already won. He had claimed his spot in a long, fantastic journey - a journey unique to every school. It won't be smooth, for sure, but Makoto was certain he'll share the same experiences as everyone else, be it romance or friendship. He won't regret a single minute of it. And it was at that moment, when Makoto came to terms with his internal worries, when he finally convinced himself that everything would be okay, that he fell to the ground and blacked out.

* * *

_He was leaning against the wall, his face covered in bruises. Everywhere around him was trashed; the doorway, the halls, filled with rubble and human remains. His whole body was aching; each joint, muscle, and bone screaming in agony._

_'I'm scared...' he heard himself murmur. 'Are we going to make it out? Are we going to die?'_

_A hand reached out for his own and squeezed it. Makoto felt a warm, fuzzy feeling rush throughout his entire body. A speck of hope in a demolished wasteland._

_'No, we won't. I won't let anything happen to you, e_ _ven if it kills me.'_

_Tears were screaming, but from whose cheeks? From him? From her? Was it both?_

_'But I don't want you to die for me, M-'_

Makoto's eyes shot open, his head flaring with pain and his heart hammering in his chest. He could feel himself break into a cold sweat, and suddenly, he found himself crying. _But why?_

It was then when he noticed he was in a room. In every direction he looked, there was rubble; pieces of the wall had crumbled to the ground, blockading him in a small, confined space. He blinked, and the rubble faded, leaving the intact walls of a classroom. Makoto was left disoriented and confused.

_What were those memories?_

Makoto struggled to recreate what he had just seen. He stared down at his hand, still warm, and flexed it. Staring at his empty hand suddenly sent a wave of nausea and uncertainty throughout his body. He wondered why, why his hand felt so empty. But, when he tried to come up with an answer, he was met with a painful headache. The more he tried to concentrate, the harsher it grew, until he eventually gave up. He took a few moments to let the pain subside, and began to check out the room around him.

No longer was Makoto standing in front of the school gates. Instead, he found himself sitting in a dim classroom, the door slightly ajar. A soft, pink light seeped in through the opening.

In front of him was a small note.

_"The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."_

Written in crayon and accompanied with a crude drawing of Hope's Peak Academy.

_Is this some kind of joke?_

Whatever the case, it did reinforce one thing: that Makoto was inside of Hope's Peak. 

_So what? Did I pass out in front of the school gates? Did someone carry me here?_

Makoto knew the answers to none except for passing out in front of the school gates. For all he knew, he was kidnapped and stuffed into a classroom. But that was a ridiculous assumption. If Makoto _had_ been kidnapped, the last place he would be was inside of the school.

Either way, this room was awfully eerie. Makoto couldn't take his eyes off of the camera pointed in his direction, a small red light indicating that it was on and working. As he moved across the room, the camera followed him, a faint mechanical whirr echoing throughout the room. Then there were the metal plates. If this was a normal classroom, Makoto would've expected there to be windows. Instead, there were plates bolted into the walls, almost as if someone was trying to block the outside world from his view.

There was a clock situated slightly above the doorway. It read 8:05. The meeting was at 8:00.

_... I'm late._

* * *

Makoto walked through the halls, reading the signs on the wall as he passed them: Classroom A, Classroom B, A/V Room, Student Store... And as he passed by each room, he couldn't help but noticed more metal plates bolted along the halls. Not to mention how the hallways were lit up with a strange, pink light that seemed to flicker now and then. Makoto could feel a strange, foreboding feeling well up inside of him. 

 Finally, he found himself in front of two large, wooden doors, with a sign labeled "entrance hall" posted above. This was it. Behind these doors were his classmates, all talented individually whose personality achievements far outweighed his own. The moment he opened this door, his old, peaceful life would end, and his new, exciting high school days would begin. Taking a deep breath, Makoto pushed the door open, only to find himself facing fifteen other students.

Makoto stood there, staring in awe at the students before him. He might've anticipated this moment before, but now that he was here, he realized just how outstanding, and just how little he was in comparison, these people were. 

One of them, a red-eyed boy wearing a white uniform and a red armband, stepped forward and folded his arms. "You're late! The time is 8:05. You were supposed to be here at 8:00!"

Makoto gulped, feeling a little guilty for making these people wait for him. "I'm sorry." 

"Now, now, he must have woken up in the same predicament we did. There is no need to lecture him about it."

Makoto turned to see a pale girl dressed in black Gothic attire defending him. A neutral expression was plastered across her face.

"Well, I suppose I can let this one slide," the boy with the white uniform admitted. "However, I will not excuse further tardiness. Are we clear?"

The Gothic girl's red eyes flashed. "That would do just fine." Makoto nodded along to avoid further conflict.

"Good," he said, a smile forming on his face. "Well, now that you are here, introduce yourself to us! And tell us a few interesting facts about yourself."

"Um... My name is Makoto Naegi," he responded.

"Excellent! And your talent?"

"Er... I'm the ultimate lucky student."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Welcome, Makoto Naegi the ultimate lucky student! Your talent may not exist, but I am sure you will do just fine. My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the ultimate moral compass. I'm very pleased to meet you!"

_Gee, thanks._

There was a bit on Kiyotaka on the website. He was a huge stickler for the rules and did a ton of work for the disciplinary committee. As annoying as those types of people could be, Makoto had to admit that his determination to uphold proper morals admirable. Kiyotaka was an honors student and had previously attended a top private school.

The moral compass held out his hand, and Makoto took it. Kiyotaka firmly shook it, his grasp so tight that Makoto had to wriggle his hand out to rub out some of the pain.

"Erm... Nice to meet you too."

His first interaction with an ultimate student went south, and his confidence as a human being suddenly dropped. Makoto stared at the ground, contemplating his social status. After all, his talent _didn't exist._

"Don't be upset, I don't think he meant what he said..."

Makoto looked up to see a petite girl in a green jacket. She had brown hair, hazel eyes, and wore a brown skirt that puffed up around the sides. 

"I'm Chihiro Fujisaki... I am the ultimate programmer."

Unlike Kiyotaka's loud and proud voice, Chihiro spoke in almost a whisper.

 _I guess I'm not the only one who's nervous,_ Makoto thought, giving her a small smile. "You're a programmer? That's cool!"

Makoto had read a bit about her on the website. Chihiro's programs have solved some of the toughest problems among the programming community, including everything from data compiling and hyper-realistic simulation. She also seemed to have her own small legion of fans who were enamored by her timid personality.

"You really think so?" The programmer asked, looking at him with almost a pleading look.

"Yeah, I've tried programming a bit before, but it was really hard," Makoto admitted, before laughing a little. "Being able to do something much with just a computer is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!"

It was true. Though brief, Makoto dabbled into programming for a bit, starting with the easiest he could find, Python. He couldn't even create a simple greeting simulator without it crashing.

His compliment seemed to please her, filling Makoto with a strange sense of achievement.

"Please, Chihiro's more cute than cool."

A tall, muscular man wrapped an arm around her shoulders, laughing. He wore a long, black overcoat with strange, golden symbols embroider onto its side. The most notable feature was his dyed pompadour, followed by the dark eyeliner surrounded his purple eyes. Underneath his coat was a white undershirt and baggy black pants.

Chihiro turned pink and looked at the floor. "Oh... Okay." She murmured.

"You guys are... Close." Makoto observed.

"Yeah, Chihi n' I knew each other since we were children. The name's Mondo Oowada, the ultimate biker gang leader."

Ah, that explained the attire. From what Makoto gathered, Mondo was the leader of Japan's biggest biker gang, the Crazy Diamonds. Despite being a gang, the Crazy Diamonds was actually one of the more respected ones, as outside of gang brawls they were pretty much the average good Samaritans.

"I never expected the two of you to know each other," Makoto admitted. He never would've thought such a masculine person would be good friends with the shy programmer.

"We get that a lot, not gonna lie," Mondo said. "I don't give a shit."

"Mondo's a good bodyguard..." Chihiro murmured.

Her bodyguard was taken aback at her statement. "Fuck off, since when did you become such a cheeky little bastard?" He said, rubbing the programmer's head with his knuckles. Chihiro seemed pleased, despite it looking mildly uncomfortable from Makoto's perspective.

_They seem... Friendly. Kind of. Well, onto the next person._

Makoto gave the two a little wave before walking to the person behind them - a girl with lavender colored hair with a single braid falling from her left. She wore a purple jacket over a white blouse, accompanied by a brown tie. The lower half of her person consisted of a short black skirt and knee-high boots. He noticed that the pair of black gloves she wore had a small sparkle to it.

"Um... Hi...?" Makoto said, attempting to break the ice.

The gloved girl stared at him for a moment, before finally responding. "... Hello."

 _... She's not much of a talker, I guess._ "What's your name?" Makoto asked.

"Kyoko... Kirigiri."

"Uh huh." Slowly, this was beginning to feel like an interrogation instead of a greeting. Makoto really wanted to know more about her though and decided to press onwards.

"So um... What's your talent?"

Kyoko paused. It was a long, awkward pause, that got Makoto thinking that she didn't hear him, so he repeated it.

"What's your talen-"

"I heard you the first time," Kyoko snapped. "I just decided not to answer."

_'Decided not to answer'? Why won't she tell me what her talent is?_

"Why won't you answer?"

"Well, do I have to answer?" She asked, with the most serious expression he's seen all day.

"... I guess not." He admitted.

A small smile started to form on her lips. "Then I won't tell you."

"Oh... Oh okay. Nice to meet you, then."

Not getting a response, Makoto decided to move on.

_That was... Weird. I guess she has her reasons, right? Maybe she's just shy. I'll talk to her later._

 "Hi! You look upset."

Makoto snapped out of his internal monologue to see a girl with tanned skin and a red tracksuit standing in front of him. Her brown hair was tied into a curled ponytail, and her large, blue eyes stared at him with a slightly worried expression.

"No, I'm fine," Makoto responded, smiling.

"You don't look so fine."

"No, really," Makoto said. "I'm fine."

The tracksuit girl frowned for a moment, before breaking out into a grin. "Okay! If you're fine, I'm fine! My name's Aoi Asahina, and I'm the ultimate swimmer. I like swimming... And running... And donuts!"

_Right. Donuts._

Aoi Asahina, as he'd gathered, was an Olympic swimmer with multiple gold medals under her belt. She often appeared in donut commercials for some reason and claims that donuts were her spirit animal.

"That's neat!" Makoto grinned. 

Next to Aoi was a rather large boy with a grey shirt over a white one that looked as if it was about to burst. Well, that's a sight he hoped he'll never see. He wore rounds glasses and sported the oddest haircut he's seen all day. He wore an orange and blue tie, as well as black pants. 

"Hi," he said. "What's your name?"

The chubby boy turned towards him and smiled. "Why, Hifumi Yamada, of course! Ultimate fanfiction creator. Lover of all things 2D!"

Hifumi Yamada was a renowned artist whose fanfictions surpassed the popularity of the original works themselves. He's well-known for his idol anime related works, and, despite writing doujinshi, sticks to the... safe side of it at the moment.

"That's interesting. I've watched some anime before, and the artwork's pretty good." 

"Pretty good?" Hifumi looked offended. "Only 'pretty good'? Why, anime is the greatest masterpiece in all of human history! No other art medium has ever created a set of characters as moe as anime!"

"Haha... I guess?"

Although, Makoto would much rather prefer 3D people. 

"Hey-o~ Whatcha guys talking about?"

Makoto was taken by surprise as a cold hand grabbed him by his should. Makoto turned around to see a girl with bleached hair and blue eyes stood above him. She wore a black cardigan over her white collared shirt, with the top buttons unbuttoned to reveal a black and red bra. She wore a red miniskirt and black boots. Makoto recognized her face almost instantaneously as that of Junko Enoshima, the fashion model whose face was plastered everywhere from billboards to Komaru's room.

"I'm not interested in filthy 3D women." Hifumi deadpanned, walking away.

"I um... I'm interested in 3D women?" Makoto said, attempting to diffuse the disgusted expression slowly forming on the model's face. Realizing what he had just said, he turned pink. "I mean-"

"No, no, no, I get it, you're straight," Junko said, not missing a beat. Her tone sounded more disappointed then creeped out. "I guess I can live with that."

"You can-" Makoto's face turned an even deeper shade of red, flustered as he realized what the model was implying. "You- you don't want me to be straight? I uh, I-"

"Gyahahahaha!" Suddenly Junko burst into laughter, holding the back of her hand to her face to wipe away the tears forming. "Your face! Your faaaace! It's priceless!" She continued to laugh, leaving a very awkward and confused Makoto standing there. "He's such a cutie, Mukuro, did you see that?"

"I did."

Standing behind Junko was a girl of about the same height with purple eyes, short black hair, and freckles. She wore a camouflage vest with a beige shirt underneath, as well as long, beige pants with multiple pockets belted to her by a dark brown belt. Makoto noticed a knife wedged into the belt. She wore gloves on her hands and combat boots on her legs. She seemed to have a disinterested expression on her face and looked away when she noticed him staring.

Something about her felt... strangely familiar. It was a faint feeling, a tiny tug at his heart.

He shook his head. "So, are you guys gonna introduce yourselves?"

"Totes!" Junko grinned. "I'm Junko Enoshima, the ultimate fashion girl, and this is my lame-ass sister Mukuro Ikusaba, the ultimate soldier."

Mukuro was facing the other direction with her arms folded across her chest, so Junko grabbed her and forcefully turned her around. Makoto gave her a small wave, but she ended up looking away again.

_Ouch._

"I don't think you're that lame," Makoto told her, feeling the need to lighten her up. "Soldiers are cool."

"Aw, don't flatter her," Junko teased, sticking out her tongue. "You're giving her the wrong idea! Look at her, she's blushing!"

As she said this, Junko turned her sister's head around once again, and Makoto noticed that her face had turned a slight shade of pink.

Makoto gave her a playful shrug. "But it's true."

"... Thanks," Mukuro said, before turning away again.

"Aww... Mukuro, don't be shy," Junko cooed, draping her arms over her sister's shoulders.

Makoto stared at the soldier, attempting to figure out where he recognized her from. There was no way he would know the sister of Junko Enoshima without personally knowing _the_ Junko Enoshima herself, and yet... It was only when he looked at Mukuro that he felt that strange feeling.

Makoto decided that was the time for him to leave, and went off to greet more people. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that Mukuro was extremely familiar.

The next person he ran into was a tall boy with dreadlocks sticking out in multiple directions. He had brown eyes and a slight stubble growing on his chin. He wore three layers of clothing: a green uniform on top, a white dress shirt in the middle, and a yellow shirt underneath. He wore a thick brown waistband and a yellow string as a belt for his baggy black pants. He footwear solely consisted of sandals.

"Hey there, you wanna talk with me?" the sandaled boy asked.

Makoto nodded. "Yeah. I'm Makoto Naegi."

"Makoto Naegi, eh?" He looked up as if he was remembering something. "Oh, I know a Makoto Naegi!"

"Really?" Makoto was surprised that someone shared the same name as him. After all, Makoto was pretty common, but Naegi... Not so much.

"Yup, just met him a few minutes ago." He said, before looking around the room. "Let's see, he's somewhere around here..."

_... Is he joking? He can't be serious, right?_

"Um... I'm right here."

"Huh?" The other boy looked down at him and smiled. "Oh, there you are! I was- wait. _Oh_."

"Yeah... I should've told you..." Makoto said, feeling a little awkward about the situation.

"Nah, it's my bad. I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure. Call me Hiro."

"Sure thing, Hiro."

"I'm also the ultimate clairvoyant. With a thirty percent accuracy rate! Thirty percent, can you believe it?" Hiro cackled as if he was quite proud of it. Makoto didn't know much about the fortune-telling industry, but according to the website, thirty percent was actually a huge deal. "Talk to me if you ever want your fate to be laid out before you!"

Something about the way he said that spooked Makoto, but maybe it was just him.

"Oh my, only thirty percent? Are you sure you aren't merely guessing?"

The gothic girl from earlier stepped up from behind Hiro, her fingers placed over her mouth. 

"Hey, what're you saying? Guessing? Of course not." He laughed. "Maybe you're just jealous."

Makoto smiled a little but waved his hands between the two of them. "Hey, hey, why don't we-"

"Of course I am not jealous. I have no reason to. After all, I _am_ the ultimate gambler. My given name is Celestia Ludenberg, but you may call me Celeste if it suits you."

"Oh- um... Of course, Celeste." Makoto said.

_That's an odd name. She said it's her given name though, so I'll just take it for now. She looks Japanese, but she might be half European or something._

"You and I would make a good team, I suppose," Celeste said, turning her attention away from Hiro. "Your luck would prove _very_ useful in a game of poker."

"Right," Makoto said. "But really, I'm-"

"Not that lucky, right?"

Makoto whirled around to see a blue-haired girl in a traditional blue uniform accompanied by a large ribbon. She wore black knee-high socks and brown shoes. Makoto recognized her as none other than-

"Sayaka Maizono, ultimate pop sensation. We've met before, haven't we?"

That's right. Sayaka Maizono was a well-known idol whose voice took the world by storm. Out of the five member of her idol group, she was always the one at the front, the one who represented the pride and joy the idols put into bringing smiles to their viewers' faces.

"Yeah, in middle school, right?"

Despite the clear distinction between their social standings, the two of them went to the same middle school. They never really talked much and went separate ways once they went to high school. 

_I'm surprised she even remembers me... She was always surrounded by other people whenever I saw her anyways._

"Yup! I'm glad you recognize me!"

"Well," Celeste said, cutting into their conversation. "Even if you aren't that lucky, having your title around during a game would certainly play in my favor."

"Ah uh... Sorry, Celeste, I'm not much of a gambler."

Celeste gave him a small nod. "I understand. Merely a suggestion, Makoto Naegi, that would do you well if you were to take it."

"Right... Okay."

_She seems friendly on the outside, but she's actually kinda pushy..._

Leaving Celeste to her own business, Makoto approached the blonde boy in a black suit standing not too far away. He had square glasses and a stern expression etched onto his face.

Sayaka trailed behind him, saying that she wanted to catch up on the past once he was done greeting everyone.

"What do you want?" The blonde boy asked.

"I just wanted to say hi," Makoto said, feeling a little defensive.

"I have no reason to greet you."

There was a similar attitude between the lavender-haired girl named Kyoko from before and the person in front of Makoto. 

"Okay, but can you at least tell me your name? And your talent, please?"

"Byakuya Togami. Heir to the Togami Conglomerate. You may know me as the ultimate affluent progeny, but don't talk to me unless you have something of much importance to discuss."

 _What a friendly guy_ , Makoto thought. 

The Togami conglomerate was one of the largest conglomerates in the world. One could say the practically controlled most of the world, anyways. Byakuya was the heir to the company.

"He would better be known as the ultimate spoiled brat, don't you think?" Sayaka whispered once they were out of earshot.

"Eh... I guess so," Makoto said, fully agreeing with her statement. "Don't think I wanna piss him off."

Sayaka laughed. "What can he do? Arrest you? If he tries to do anything, I'm sure my supporters can protect you!"

Makoto smiled a little. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"It's nothing!" Sayaka said.

That left three more people. The tall, muscular guy, the nervous girl with braided hair, and the boy with orange hair and multiple piercings.

He decided to talk to the braided girl first.

"W-w-what do you w-want?" She asked once she noticed he was approaching her. Her voice sounded nervous, yet hostile.

"Eh?" Makoto said, taken back by her response.

"Y-you p-probably th-think I'm ugly, d-don't you?" She muttered, looking at the ground.

"No, I don't, I was just taken by surprise-"

"See? I k-knew it!" She cried, burying her face in her hands.

Sayaka patted him on the back. "Makoto just wants to know how talented you are," she said, giving him a wink. "Talk to him, I'm sure he has nothing against you."

"That's right, I don't," Makoto reassured.

"Well... O-only if she says so." The braided girl muttered. "My name i-is Toko F-Fukawa. The ultimate l-literature girl."

Toko Fukawa was a hot topic in the forum. Her novels were top sellers, and her romance stories sometimes changed perceptions on an entire type of person. For example, her novel "Quantum Entanglement", a heartbreaking romance story between two mathematicians who don't understand love yet are hopelessly in love with each other, caused a spike in appreciation for those into math. Another novel, "Her Other Self", became a saving grace for many struggling with identity issues.

"I've read one of your novels," Sayaka cheerfully announced. "'Whispers by the Cliffside'! Your writing is amazing!"

"Th-thanks..." Toko murmured. "I g-guess."

 The large, muscular boy had dark skin and white hair. He wore bandages on his arms and legs. Even while wearing a traditional girl's uniform, his muscles could still be visible through the cloth. The uniform had its sleeves cut off. 

_Wait, what? A girl's uniform?_

"That's... Actually a girl." Sayaka whispered, causing Makoto to jump. 

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked feeling a little embarrassed.

"Hmm..." Sayaka smiled a little. "No. I'm psychic. Just kidding! I have good intuition."

_Good intuition? That's too specific for just 'good intuition'..._

"Do you wish to speak with me, Makoto?" The, er,  _girl_ asked, her deep voice causing him to tremble.

"Y-yeah," he said. "Something like that."

"I see..." she said, folding her arms. She closed her eyes and looked downwards, smiling pensively. "You want me to introduce myself, no? My name is Sakura Oogami, the ultimate martial artist."

Sakura Oogami was perhaps one of the strongest human beings in existence. Coming from a long line of martial artists, Sakura quickly overtook her male family members until she remained undefeated in her dojo. 

_There were a few comments calling her and 'ogre' on the forums... Maybe I shouldn't bring that up._

"Nice to meet you, Sakura..." Makoto said. The martial artist gave him a curt nod, before turning the other way.  _I'm not staring at her too much, right? I'll have to watch my behavior around her... She could probably kill me if I get too close._

"And that leaves us with him," Sayaka said, pointing towards the boy with the excessive amount of piercings. "His name's Leon."

"Ah, okay." 

"Yo, what's up?" Leon said as Makoto approached him. "You're the lucky student, right? Makoto Naygi, right?"

"Naegi."

"Right. The name's Leon Kuwata, ultimate baseball star."

Despite being a baseball player, Leon had multiple piercings and accessories attached to his person. He wore a white jacket with a popped collar, a shirt with a grunge design, and dark blue jeans. He had spiky orange hair and a goatee.

Leon was one of the star players on the Japanese national baseball team, a natural hitter who's had a near perfect record so far. 

"That's cool," Makoto commented.

"Eh... It's not really..." Leon said. "I'm not a huge fan of it."

_Well, that would explain the piercings and the hair... Why else would be be breaking the dress code?_

"Honestly, Leon continued. "If I had to choose something else I'd be good at, I'd choose music. Like Sayaka!"

"Eh? Me?" Sayaka, who had stood next to Makoto the whole time silence, seemed taken aback by his statement. "I uh... I guess. But I only sing."

"Pssht, I'm looking into singing too." Leon grinned. "And guitar. I've picked up the guitar."

"Is that so..."

Sayaka had a slightly concerned look on her face, something that Makoto found odd, considering how Leon was trying to flatter her. Noticing that he was staring, Sayaka smiled. "Don't worry about me, I'm just getting lost in thought."

"Hey, Sayaka," Leon said. "Later on, do you want to... You know... uh... practice singing or something?"

"Mmm." Given her disinterested look, Makoto figured Sayaka wasn't as enthusiastic about Leon's dream as he was. 

"So, is that a yes?"

"... Sure."

"All right!" Leon cried out, doing a mini fist pump. He walked off with his hands stretched behind his head, whistling.

_Sayaka's reaction was kinda odd. I feel like I should ask about that, but not right now._

"Makoto."

"Hmm?" Makoto turned to the side to see that Sayaka was staring intensely at him. Did she realize that he was thinking about her?

"Do you remember saving that crane?"

 _Oh, That's what she wanted to talk about._ Come to think of it, Makoto did remember that. He had found a crane half dead in the school pool. After pulling it out from danger, he took it home to nurse it back to health. He released the crane back into the wild a few weeks later behind the school.

"Eh?" Makoto was a bit flustered. "You saw that?"

Sayaka nodded. "It was really touching, wasn't it?"

"Ahaha... yeah, I guess..." Makoto averted his gaze, blushing as the idol practically burned a hole through him with her piercing gaze.

"You know... I always wanted to talk to you after that..." She said.

"Really?"

"Yup!" She smiled, before letting out a sigh. "But we never ran into each other. I'm so glad we could meet each other again, don't you agree?"

"Yeah," Makoto said, smiling as well. "I do."

**Ding dong ding dong**

Everyone stopped talking as a childish voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

"Testing... Testing... Can you guys hear me? Well, whatever."

"The hell's going on?" he heard Mondo growl.

"There's a meeting in the gymnasium! Everyone, please head there right now."

The loudspeaker crackled to a stop. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, until Celestia piped up. 

"Let us all head towards the gymnasium, shall we?"

She pulled open the doors and left.

"Should we follow her?" Sayaka asked, glancing nervously at Makoto.

He smiled. "There's nothing to be afraid of about a meeting, is there?"

For a moment, Makoto saw a hint of skepticism etched into her face, but it was gone in an instant.

"No, not really."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~
> 
> I know it says "Different Mastermind" in the tags, and you might be thinking that this is just another reimagination of what could've happened if someone else was a despair.
> 
> And you're not wrong.
> 
> But the tag "Different Mastermind" is a little misleading. The story isn't based off of something like "what if Makoto Naegi was the mastermind?" Actually, it would be more accurate to say that this is a "rewriting" of the rules. You'll see the rules in the next chapter.
> 
> If you take a look at the ships, those are the ones that will develop throughout the plot. Anything else is purely up to your own interpretation hahaha
> 
> Also, before anyone tries to point it out, I know Mondo and Chihiro didn't actually meet until Hope's Peak. However, I decided it'd be more fun if they knew each other beforehand, no?
> 
> Happy reading :)


End file.
